Donald Judd

Peder Bonnier, New York
Private collection, Sweden
Pace Wildenstein, New York
Collection Jacques Grange, Paris (acquired from the above in May 2001)

Pierre Passebon, Jacques Grange, Paris, 2008, p.14, illustrated in colour

The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration. Close inspection reveals a tiny nick on the extreme outer right edge and few tiny superficial scratches. There are a few light scattered scratches visible on the underside of the work This work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

« A form, a volume, a colour, a surface exist in themselves. They should not be concealed as being only parts of a distinctly different whole." 

in Donald Judd, Ecrits (1963-1990), 1991 p. 27

With the work Untitled (Menziken 87-50), produced 7 years before his death, Donald Judd underlines the purity of the objects and materials for themselves, depriving them of all symbolic meaning. Since 1965 and his declaration of intention Specific Objects, the artist had established himself as the leading figure of minimal art. He embodies this aesthetic based on seriality, repetition and geometry. Aluminum, steel and Plexiglas carry this new minimalist ideal... Donald Judd controls light by taking volume beyond its limits and spreading it across space. Colour irradiates across all surrounding surfaces. It is materialized on the wall and merges aluminum with acrylic sheets. These new materials employed by the artist became the spearheads of the abolition of the traditional laws of representation and composition. Donald Judd deconstructed in order to invent a new vocabulary of forms and a new idea of art that is minimalist ... "the simple expression of a complex thought" (Donald Judd).